The Portland daily press., 1887-06-11
THE PRESS.
SATURDAY MORNING, JUNE IL.
HERmANn's TRICKS.
Tho Magician Who Amazed the
Brooklyn Police.
IN. Y. TrIbune.1

In an uptown managers Office the other
day little group Of theatrical men were
talking about the interstate commerce bill
and other cheerful subjects, when tall. thin,
swartny man, with dark curling mustache
and imperial. entered. He was received
with shout of welcome. "Now for some
ENTERTAINMENT said one Of those present,
and in very few minutes the prophecy was
fulfilled. The newcomer was Hermann,
magician, who contrives to make things gen.
orally lively wherever he may happen to find
himself. After replying good-humoredly to
torrent Of questions about his recent
Brooklyn adventure-he was led to police
station and narrowly escaped spending the
night in lookup for playing practical joke
on the occupants of a street car-he said in
French-English: sit was great fun, boys.
though | nave not yet seen strictly true
account oft. 1t made itself as thus: I lind
myself in a street car with two or three
worthy people who look as though they were
too sleepy and need waking up. 1 wake
them. Instead Of thanking me, they accuse.
me to policeman Of picking their pockets.
The policeman takes me to the station-house
with my sleepy friends. The. sergeant there
you call my pedigree. give 1t to him and
am about TO be sent to n dungeon, when
with all the polteness at my command say:
viii the Monsieurs not search their pockets
and see IL they have been truly robbed?
They do so. The one who has lost watch
finds the pocketbook of the other in his tail
pocket The pocketbook man finds gold
watch in his tr0user pocket, while a dia-
mond pin which the third man has lost Is
neatly pinned in the lapel Of the worthy po-
tfx.ff falx II
Hold on. j too, have something lost and
taking off the hat of the sergeant show
him underneath the lining a roll OF green
backs. They say no word, and l, bowling
politely once more. leave the station
house."
For the next ter minutes Hermann turned
the gathering into private seance, and ex-
hibited in rapid succession some really as
tonishing sleight Of hand tricks. One of the
party was rolling a cigarette. Give me "a
cigarette paper" said Hermann. The little
book Of cigarette papers was handed to him.
He took one out and began deliberately
tearing the slip Of tissue paper into eight or
ten small pieces. These he folded together
once or twice and then passed them to one
of the party. "Roll it tight" said he, 'be-
tween your finger and thumb" The request
was complied with, and little ball of paper
the size Of q pea was the result of the
process. ''Unroll that" said Hermann,
sbut mind you do not drop the pieces on the
and found to be. whole, uniform piece OF
paper of the exact size and make of that
taken from the book and torn up by the con-
jurer. As the subject gazed blankly at this
astonishing transformation, Hermann took
it from him and folded it in two once more,
and giving it him back told him again to roll
it into q small ball This was done, and
when 1t was once again unfolded, half
dozen scraps Of torn paper were all that re-
manned. He took q tobacco pouch from the
smoker, and with quick upward movement
threw it into the air. 1t was gone, COM
pletely vanished, and 1t need hardly be said
was found in the breast pocket of an inno-
cent looSer-on. This was one OF Hermann's
cleverest receptions, and one OF those res
emit said he had frequently seen him perform
it with a wineglass half full of wine. He
took the same tobacco pouch and letting it
rest in the palm of his hand, held his hand
well out from his body. He then closed his
white fingers upon 1t, opened his hand again,
and the pouch was gone, to reappear In a
pigeon-hole of the managers desk.
Coins changed from silver to gold, dia-
mond ring mysteriously changed from the
finger of one hand to the finger of the other
these startling little tricks depending, of
course, upon pure sleight of hand, were ac-
companied by an amusing chatter which
served the double purpose OF entertaining
his friends and attracting their attention at
critical moments. Among the many stories
he told was one which seemed to one OF his
hearers to possess certain novelty. Some
one had said when the name of a well known
prevaricator was introduced that he thought
he really believed many of his lies himself.
Il knew once" said Hermann, "a business
man in Marseilles, who was accustomed to
dine every day at little restaurant near the
harbor. One day he went to his dinner and
found every place occupied. He was in a
hurry. and being Gascon his fertile imagi-
nation hit ON an expedient, He slipped out
of the restaurant and rushing in at the front
door called out, There is an enormous whale
in the harbor, and it is likely to do harm to
the shipping. The excitement is terrible
Every one jumped to his feet and in a few
seconds the place was deserted Even the
walters left their tables. The willy Gascon
as he watched them going. idgeted about a
bit and then exclaiming, 1 should not won
der il it were true. | must 60 and see it my
SELF rushed off to look at the whale he had
Invented himself"